Rio 2016 deeply saddened by death of Juma the jaguar
Exhibition of wild animals will be prohibited on Olympic Torch Relay
The Rio 2016 Organising Committee published the following statement on its Facebook page.
“We made a mistake in allowing the Olympic Torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be shown next to a wild animal in chains. This image runs counter to our beliefs and values.
“We are deeply saddened about what happened following the relay. We guarantee that situations like this will not happen again at Rio 2016.”
What happened?
On Monday (20 June) the Olympic Torch Relay visited various places in Manaus, Iranduba and Presidente Figueiredo in the state of Amazônia. Among them was a military training base that prepares soldiers for service in the most inhospitable parts of the Amazon Rainforest. A jaguar called Juma was kept by military personnel in their facilities, and was present when the Olympic Torch arrived.
After the torch had moved on, according to a statement from the Brazilian Army, the jaguar escaped from inside the zoo in the base. Although it was sedated with tranquilisers, the animal threatened a soldier and was killed.
The Rio 2016 Organising Committee states that, even when interaction with wild animals is part of the local culture, the exhibition of these species will not be permitted on the torch relay.
